Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a profoundly personal reflection on lineage, resilience, and the enduring power of family heritage.
Growing up in New England, I was surrounded by the ancestral lands of the Wampanoag, my connection to my roots was sustained through the kitchen. The recipes passed down by my grandmother—comforting, traditional meals of Indian pudding, root vegetable stews, and cornbread—were more than just food; they were a tangible, living link to a profound and complex ancestry.
On my mother’s side, I carry a unique and intersecting history, descended from both the Wampanoag people and a lineage of enslaved and free African ancestors. Indigenous Peoples’ Day is an occasion to honor these roots openly, ensuring that the legacy of my grandmother Elizabeth Ann Slocum Nolan, is never erased or forgotten. The story of the Wampanoag nation, much like the shared history of Indigenous tribes across this continent, is one of unimaginable trials. They survived devastating epidemics and the relentless theft of their homelands. Yet, through it all, they remained a people defined by profound generosity and open doors. The Wampanoag Tribes famously sustained starving European settlers, and just as importantly, they opened their homes and families to Black Americans seeking freedom and community in New England.
This spirit of survival and interconnectedness echoes deeply across the continent, stretching all the way to Oregon, which is now my home and the center of my community. The Pacific Northwest is the ancestral homeland of nine distinct federally recognized sovereign tribes, each representing diverse ecosystems and deeply rooted traditions.
In the high deserts and eastern plateaus, the Burns Paiute Tribe and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation carry a rich legacy of endurance and self-reliance.
Along the rugged coast and southwestern rivers, the Coquille Indian Tribe, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, and the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians preserve vital cultural legacies centered on canoe artisanship, stewardship, and community.
Across the central and western valleys, the Klamath Tribes, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and Siletz Indians survived severe mid-20th-century government termination policies to reclaim their sovereignty and lead massive movements in river, land, and cultural restoration.
Bringing this legacy into modern intersectional advocacy, organizations like our Oregon NOW chapter actively emphasize the critical connection between Indigenous sovereignty and feminist liberation. At last year’s State conference, Oregon NOW dedicated central platforms to supporting the Red Shawl Solidarity Project and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians CARE Program, fighting directly to honor and protect Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
Today, Indigenous Peoples’ Day serves as a vital reminder of the survival, sovereignty, and rich cultures of all Indigenous nations, from the coast of New England, through the American South, to the forests, high deserts, and rivers of Oregon. It is a day to recognize that Native history is not a relic of the past, but a living, breathing reality. I am proud to inherit a legacy of radical hospitality and survival, and I celebrate my grandmother who made sure those stories, those struggles, and those traditional flavors were passed down to live on in us, grounding me wherever I make my home.
Sincerely in Sisterhood,
Nuala Gray
Outgoing President